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If you experience sexual misconduct…

Regardless of when or where the incident occurred, it is never too late to speak with a support resource about your options.

The College encourages all individuals to seek assistance from a medical provider and/or law enforcement immediately after an incident of sexual misconduct. This is the best option to ensure preservation of evidence and to begin a timely investigative and remedial response. The College will assist any Grinnell College community member to get to a safe place and will provide transportation to the hospital, coordination with law enforcement, and information about the College’s resources and complaint processes.

There is a limited window of time (typically 72 to 96 hours) following an incident of sexual assault to preserve physical and other forms of evidence. Taking the step to gather evidence immediately does not commit an individual to any course of action. The decision to seek medical attention and gather any evidence will remain confidential and preserve the full range of options to seek resolution through the College’s complaint processes and/or criminal action.

If you experience an incident of sexual misconduct, please consider the following actions:

Contact law enforcement at 911 or Campus Safety (641) 269-4600 (24 hrs.) if in immediate danger

Get away from your assailant and to a safe place if you can.

Tell the dispatcher this is an emergency situation and where you are. You do not have to give any personal details to the campus safety dispatcher.

Ask for an advocate, RLC on call, or a safety officer.

Seek medical attention

GRMC can conduct a medical exam. You can request a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) for your exam. If no SANE is available, another nurse will conduct your exam. You may request that a friend, Crisis Intervention Services, Chaplain/Rabbi, Grinnell Advocate, or other support person accompany you during the exam. To request an advocate, call Campus Safety at (641) 269-4600.

You may have an advocate present during your medical exam to help coordinate care and answer any questions you have about the process. A confidential advocate can be contacted via Campus Safety 24 hours a day. For for information on confidential advocates, see below under "24 HOUR LOCAL CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCES".

A sexual assault medical exam has two goals: first, to treat the full extent of any injury or physical trauma and to consider the possibilities of sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy and, second, to properly preserve evidence in case you decide to prosecute.

IMPORTANT: Do not bathe, douche, brush your teeth, drink or change your clothing, as you may be destroying evidence you will need if you decide to move forward in a criminal case. If you must change clothing, place them in a paper bag (do not use plastic bags).

Nurses can check for infection and provide emergency contraception, other nursing care, and referrals as appropriate. Nurses and counselors are also available on-call after hours to direct you to medical help.

Seek support

Contact one of the support resources available to you both on and off campus, or call a parent, relative, or close friend for support. We encourage any individual who has questions or concerns to seek the support of campus and community resources. These resources can provide guidance in making decisions, information about available resources and procedural options, and assistance to either party in the event that a report and/or resolution under this policy is pursued. Individuals are encouraged to use all available resources, regardless of when or where the incident occurred.

Talk with your Title IX Coordinator about your options

Grinnell College’s Title IX Coordinator will help review your options for next steps and link you to support resources. You have agency at each step in the process to set the pace and make your own decisions about how best to proceed, except when there is an immediate threat to the community or a minor is involved.